Editorial: Parents should not dismiss vaccine for H1N1 flu

Although most people affected by the H1N1 flu virus have responded well to antiviral treatments, the virus is hitting children particularly hard. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children are getting ill and ending up in the hospital at higher rates than other age groups affected by the so-called swine flu.

That's why it's worrisome that many parents are underestimating the risk of the disease on children and as a result are considering not having their kids vaccinated against the H1N1 virus.

Elizabeth Dalziel/The Associated PressHealth officials are setting up an unprecedented system to track any side effects of the H1N1 flu vaccine. In a University of Michigan national poll this month, only 40 percent of parents said they planned to have their children get the H1N1 vaccine this fall. Among parents who are not planning to have their children vaccinated, roughly half cited concerns about a reaction to the H1N1 vaccine and the same proportion said they were not worried about their children getting sick.

Health officials are stressing that the H1N1 vaccine is only a recipe change from the regular flu shot, which has been used for decades. There have been no serious problems among thousands of people used to try the new vaccine earlier this year.

Just to be sure, health officials are creating an unprecedented system to track possible side effects. Harvard Medical School will use insurance databases for real-time checks on up to 50 million people. Johns Hopkins University will follow up on at least 100,000 vaccine recipients. And the CDC will issue cards explaining how to report vaccine problems. Just as important as tracking any potential problems, the system will help explain health troubles unrelated to the vaccine that could discourage people from getting vaccinated.

In the meantime, health officials are urging reluctant parents to discuss their concerns with doctors and gather more information. That's the prudent thing to do.